Dr Sooj explained that there are two main types of hearing loss – here’s what you should know
A doctor has shed light on several warning signs of hearing loss and a 72-hour ‘medical emergency’ that needs addressing straight away. Dr Suraj Kukadia, also known as Dr Sooj, took to TikTok to share his insights and explained the key difference between treatable and permanent issues.
“If you want to protect your hearing, you need to know this red flag for hearing loss,” Dr Sooj told his followers. “Now, there are two main types of hearing loss. There’s conductive, and there’s sensorineural. And the difference really does matter.”
First, Dr Sooj highlighted conductive hearing loss, which occurs when sound can’t reach the inner ear through the outer or middle ear. Causes of this generally include earwax blockage, infections, and fluid behind the eardrum, among other issues that are often treatable, allowing hearing to improve.
Meanwhile, sensorineural hearing loss describes damage to the inner ear or auditory nerve, typically arising from noise exposure, medications, tumours, and age-related factors. These issues are deemed irreversible but can be managed with hearing aids or cochlear implants.
Nonetheless, if sensorineural hearing loss occurs suddenly and rapidly over hours to days, it is considered a medical emergency. Dr Sooj claimed that most patients have a 72-hour window to start treatment in order to preserve hearing.
After that window, the outcomes are considered ‘much worse’. In his video, Dr Sooj continued: “And you can tell which type you have by humming. This is my left side, this is my right side. If we close both ears with fingers and hum like this, where do you hear the hum loudest?
“If my left side is affected and the hum is louder in this ear, the one with the hearing loss, then that suggests a conductive hearing loss. The sound is trapped in the ear canal and in the middle ear, so conduction of sound waves through the bones is enhanced and feels louder.
“If the hum is louder in your good ear, so the one that is not affected by the hearing loss, then that suggests some sort of sensory neural hearing loss in the affected ear. Your inner ear or nerve on the affected side is damaged, so it can’t process sound properly, even when it’s conducted through bone.
“Now, if the hum is equal in both ears, but you’re still struggling to hear, then you might have an issue affecting both ears, or something else entirely might be going on.”
Beyond this, Dr Sooj also flagged five key red flags that need urgent assessment. These include the following:
- Sudden hearing loss in one or both ears
- Hearing loss with dizziness or vertigo
- Hearing loss with a severe headache
- Hearing loss after a head injury
- Hearing loss with facial weakness
He added: “For gradual hearing loss, you should still get assessed, but it’s less urgent. You should see your GP, who can examine your ears, remove wax if needed, and refer you to audiology for proper hearing tests.”
Similarly, official guidance from the NHS states: “There are lots of possible causes of hearing loss. It may be caused by something treatable or it may be permanent. Your symptoms may give you an idea what could be causing it. But do not self-diagnose, see a GP for advice.”
For more information, visit the NHS website here.
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